Mindfulness-Based Restoration Skills Training (ReST) in a Natural Setting Compared to Conventional Mindfulness...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Mindfulness Studies
• Environmental Psychology

Background:

• Restoration skills training (ReST) integrates restorative nature experiences into mindfulness practice.
• Previous studies suggest ReST offers advantages for novice meditators, including reduced effort and improved attention regulation.
• Mindfulness theory posits that effortful training is crucial for generalized psychological improvements, raising questions about ReST's efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether the less effortful ReST approach leads to disadvantages compared to conventional mindfulness training (CMT) in psychological functioning.
• To assess the effects of ReST and CMT on dispositional mindfulness, cognitive functioning, and chronic stress.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study analyzing data from four development rounds of the ReST course.
• 152 participants were randomly assigned to either ReST or a parallel, matched CMT course.
• Outcomes (mindfulness, cognition, stress) were assessed pre- and post-intervention; Round 4 included a passive control group.

Main Results:

• Both ReST and CMT yielded similar average improvements in mindfulness, cognitive functioning, and chronic stress.
• Significant improvements were observed in ReST and CMT participants compared to passive controls.
• Over a third of participants in both ReST and CMT groups showed reliably improved psychological functioning, with no increased risk of deterioration compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• ReST is a viable alternative to CMT for individuals experiencing stress or concentration issues, particularly those deterred by more demanding training.
• ReST effectively mitigates the initial demands of mindfulness training by utilizing restorative environmental characteristics.
• The study found no evidence of ReST being inferior to CMT in improving key psychological outcomes.